Today's News: Our Take - Vegas Exclusive: Who's Playing Mia's Mother?

Vegas is betting big on family drama.Winter Preview: Get scoop on your favorite returning showsThe freshman CBS drama has cast The O.C. and Nikita star Melinda Clarke to play the mother of Sarah Jones' Mia Rizzo, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. ...

TV Guide

Vegas is betting big on family drama.Winter Preview: Get scoop on your favorite returning showsThe freshman CBS drama has cast The O.C. and Nikita star Melinda Clarke to play the mother of Sarah Jones' Mia Rizzo, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. Clarke will play Lena, a charismatic, shrewd, strong woman who is attracted to even stronger men. Although Mia's father (Michael Wiseman) insisted that Lena died when Mia was a baby, she's alive and well, having been forbidden to see or contact her daughter. Naturally, her arrival at the Savoy will ruffle a few feathers.Speaking of ruffled feathers, as we first reported, Lena catches the eye - and a whole lot more! - of Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis) before he learns her true identity. Check out 16 TV bad guys we root forBesides her starring roles on The O.C. and Nikita, Clarke also had a memorable turn as Lady Heather on CSI. She's also appeared on such shows as Entourage, The Vampire Diaries and Chuck.Vegas airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS. An airdate for Clarke's episode has not been set.

View original Vegas Exclusive: Who's Playing Mia's Mother? at TVGuide.com